A pair of first-round picks and highly regarded center prospects who made their NHL clubs out of training camp will continue their seasons elsewhere.

Ryan Johansen (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets) were sent down to the AHL and OHL, respectively, on Wednesday afternoon. Their teams, rather than continue playing them sparingly with less talented linemates, are opting to hope their development continues against peers they can—and have—dominated in the past.

Ryan Johansen (two points) is headed to the AHL. (AP Photo)

Johansen, the No. 4 overall pick in 2010, had just two assists on the season but was winning more than 50 percent of his faceoffs, the top such number on the team, and took 8 of 9 Tuesday against the LA Kings. He wasn't driving possession particularly well, though, and struggled to turn relatively easy minutes into points.

"He started strong, but we think his play has tailed off," Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson told the Columbus Dispatch. "He looks like he's struggling offensively. This isn't all about getting points, it's about getting chances and making an impact offensive. I just think he's struggling confidence-wise offensively. We decided to send him down to find his game."

2011-12 had already been something of a lost season for Johansen; he had nine goals and 12 assists as a rookie and often played along the fourth line of the league's worst team. That was coming off a 92-point season with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. If the Blue Jackets don't see him playing a top-six role, the Springfield Falcons are a better destination. He'd already totaled 27 points in 34 AHL games during the lockout.

Scheifele's situation is a little different. The 19-year-old forward will return to the Barrie Colts, where he put up 22 goals and 27 assists in 30 games this season. The seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft, Sheifele has now been returned to his junior team in consecutive seasons.

He'd only played in four games so far, largely along the bottom lines, and leaves with a game to burn before his entry-level deal kicks in. With Barrie, expect him to work on his strength and get the opportunities he couldn't on a Jets roster with a fair amount of top-six guys.